HOMEWORK BOOK

Name:

AS ICT 2011 - 2012

Introduction

Welcome to the AS ICT course. A Level ICT is a 2 year course that is taught using 2

assessment objectives:

A: Practical Skills 60% - Use of the computer to complete various tasks using the IT

software provided

B: Knowledge and Understanding 40% - Understanding of the actual theory behind the

subject assessed through the completion of worksheets, past papers, mock exams, etc

Assessment is carried out as follows:

Homework is a vital part of this course and it is important that you ensure you put in the

right amount of time and effort, in order to make sure you get the best grade possible in

your exams.

Like any other A Level subject, ICT theory requires you to learn the facts and understand the

principles. There is no shortcut - you will have to WORK HARD and COMPLETE YOUR

HOMEWORK! The assignments in this book will help you to gain the knowledge and

understanding required in the first part of your course.

Each assignment will require you to complete some reading and independent research in

order to answer the questions properly. Whenever you are tempted to skip on the research

& reading, remember: your answers will show whether or not you have completed the

research – and so will your end of unit exams!

Suggested materials and sites for your research include:

Books:

Your text books & the school library

AS & A level Applied ICT (Brian Sargeant & Graham

Brown)

How Computers Work (Ron White) from the school

library

How the Internet Works (Preston Gralla) from the school library

How Personal and Internet Security Work (Preston Gralla)

from the school library

On the Web:

http://www.teach-ict.com/as_a2_ict_new/as_a2_index.htm

http://www.teach-ict.com/asa2home_old.htm

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/tech - an excellent source of information, videos

etc

http://www.theteacher99.btinternet.co.uk/theteacher/newalevel/a_index.htm (an

excellent online glossary)

ICT Dictionary at http://www.teach-ict.com/glossary/A.html

http://www.ict-teacher.com/

To help you complete this workbook use the ‘Resources to help you’ ppts (you should have

copied these in the first lesson of this unit). Don’t forget to use your course textbook, too.

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E

1.1 - Input Devices

1 – Magnetic strip is a popular input media for storing credit card details. A - Name 2 other applications where a magnetic strip is used as the input media. 2 marks B – Give 2 advantages in using magnetic strip as the input media on a credit or debit card. 2 marks C – In addition to the magnetic strip, most credit and debit cards contain a small chip on the card. Explain why this is included? 2 marks

2 – Touch screens can be often seen at tourist information offices. Give one advantage of using a touch screen as an input device for use by the general public? 1 mark 3 – Bar code reading is used for data capture in many different applications Give the names of two applications where bar coding is used as an input method, and for each give a reason for why it is suitable. 4 marks

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A Credit card with magnetic strip - A magnetic strip reader - A camera picture card/ flash card - A flash/ pen drive – A CD rom – A bar code – A lottery ticket – A microphone - A digital camera - A webcam – A optical mouse -

5 – MICR rather then OCR is chosen for cheque processing A - Give one reason why this is so? 1 mark B Give 2 pieces of data encoded in magnetic ink characters that are present on the cheque when it is printed? 2 marks C – What piece of information is printed onto the cheque by the bank in magnetic ink before the cheque is cleared? 1 mark

4A – Explain the difference between input devices and input media. 2 marks B – In the follow questions you need to decide whether each one is an input device or input media: 11 marks

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E

1.2 - Output Devices

1 – A brochure prepared using desktop publishing software needs to be printed. The brochure contains both text and graphics. Name 2 types of printer that can be used (one word answers are ok) 2 marks

Laser printer Inkjet printer

2 – A kitchen company needs some high quality photographs of kitchens they have supplied to show potential customers. They have supplied these image files on a DVD.

A – Name the type of printer that would be suitable for printing these photos. 1 mark Laser printer B – Give 2 reasons why the printer you have named in part A is suited for this. Photos need to be need high quality, and it is likely that the company would need to print a lot of them. The photos don’t need to be huge, so a plotter would be inappropriate. If you want high quality/high volume of output, Laser printers are the most appropriate. 2 marks C – Give 2 limitations (disadvantages) of the printer that you have chosen? 2 marks More expensive to buy than an inkjet printer Takes up more space than an inkjet printer Paper size is limited to A4 (sometimes A3)

3 – A small business is being setup and it is planning a small local area network containing 5 printers. The business needs to produce invoices, stock lists, price lists, and brochures.

A – Give the name of one type of printer it should purchase? 1 mark Laser printer B – Give 2 reasons why you the printer you have named in part A is suited for this? They need to produce brochures which will probably contain photos of products, so high quality is important They need to produce advertising brochures, so there will be a high volume of output 2 marks

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C – Give 2 limitations (disadvantages) of the printer that you have chosen? 2 marks Initial outlay will be high as laser printers are expensive to purchase. Also, if the company wants to produce A4 size brochures, they will need to buy an A3 printer, which will further increase the cost.

The first page of a print request can be slow to print. 4 – Look at the following list of printers.

Ink jet printer Laser printer Dot matrix printer Plotter Choose the best output device from the list above for

A – Printing a plan of a kitchen drawn to scale Plotter 1 mark Reason given 1 mark Very high quality and often used for technical drawings & blueprints. Scale can be as large or as small as required. B – Printing a high quality colour photo Inkjet/laser 1 mark Reason given 1 mark If only one photo is required, an inkjet will be perfectly appropriate as it can produce high quality output, although at low volumes. If many are required, a alser printer would be better (high volume/high quality) C – Printing invoices using continuous stationary Dot matrix 1 mark Reason given 1 mark

Dot matrix printers can print on multi-part continuous stationary. Other printers cannot.

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E 1.4 – Backing Storage Media and Devices

1 – Memory can be classed as volatile and non-volatile. Explain the difference between these 2 types of memory? 4 marks 1. Volatile memory loses all of its data when the computer is switched off. 2. An example of this is RAM. 3. Non-volatile memory retains its data eve when the machine is switched off. 4. An example of this is ROM. (Do not allow hard drive: this is backing storage rather than memory) 2 – Explain why it is necessary to have a large amount of memory when running the latest application software? 1.Modern application software programs are large and contain many complex instructions/are capable of doing complex tasks. 2.This means that the computer needs a large amount of RAM 3.Because when the program loads, it is copied into the RAM (any two) 2 marks 3 – Data needs to be stored for future use. Here are a number of storage devices/ media. For each of these explain a suitable use and explain clearly why the storage device/ media is suited to the application?

A – Memory card – 1. Storing digital photographs inside a digital camera. 2. Small & compact, does not take up much space inside the device 3. Can hold a large amount of data (typically 8GB) 3 marks B – CD ROM – 1. Storing music albums 2. ROM—Read Only memory 3. This means that the music album cannot accidentally be overwritten 3 marks C – Magnetic hard drive –

1. Storing programs and data on a PC 2. Large capacity/direct access 3. Built in to all desktop PCs 3 marks

D – Flash drive - 1. transferring data from one computer to another (or back up of data) 2. large capacity (typically 12GB or more) 3. small and easily portable

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4 – You want to distribute your digital photos to your friends and family. There are several methods you could choose to do this, namely: Distribution on a CD

Distribution on a DVD Uploading the digital photos to a website Explain with justified reasons which method or methods you consider to be most suitable. 6 marks

CD Will only hold a maximum of 700MB of data If distributed in this way, will incur postage costs or will require to be physically taken to each person. BUT will be a secure medium, cannot be accidentally deleted or overwritten. (any two) DVD Holds much more data than a CD—up to 4.7GB Has similar distribution issues to CD BUT is secure etc (however family/friends would need a DVD drive) Uploading: Unlimited size & number of photos Photos can be tagged to make finding them easier Can be accessed from anywhere in the world, so no postage/distribution costs Upload once, no need to worry about a disc being lost or scratched BUT—security issues/copyright issues; anybody could see them unless access is restricted using security settings

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E Input, output & storage devices test

1. Describe the purpose of an input device (2).

2. Describe the difference between memory and backing

storage (2).

3. Describe where magnetic tape might be used for back up purposes (2).

4. Give TWO reasons why an organization might choose to use magnetic tape

rather than DVDs for back up (2).

5. A company wants to update its back up files. Why might DVDs be better for back

up than magnetic tape? (2)

6. Give TWO places where you might find a numeric keypad used for data entry

(2).

7. Give two types of data that a keyboard can be used to enter into a computer

system (2).

8. What advantage do SMART cards have over magnetic strip cards? (2)

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9. Where would a Chip and PIN reader be used? (2)

10. Why are Chip & PIN readers used rather than magnetic strip cards? (2)

11. Describe TWO types of input device that are suitable for use by people with

disabilities: (2)

12. What do the letters MIDI stand for? (1)

13. What is a MIDI instrument used for? (2)

14. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the following types of printer: (6)

Laser

Inkjet

Dot matrix

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15. Other than magnetic tape, name TWO other magnetic storage devices: (2)

16. What is the difference between a magnetic storage device and an optical storage

device? (2)

17. Name one type of solid state storage device: (1)

18. Why are solid state storage devices less likely to break down than magnetic or

optical storage devices? (3) 19. John is a travelling salesman. When he first started his job, he used to take with

him a road atlas to find his way to the companies he was visiting. He kept a book diary for his appointments together with a section for writing down phone numbers. If he was delayed in traffic he was unable to contact the company he was visiting to inform them he was going to be late. This meant he often missed appointments. After visiting companies he would go back to his hotel and write a report in a book he kept for that purpose. He was often frustrated by not being able to find out much information about the company before his visit. As a result he was often unprepared for his visit. He likes music and had a portable cassette player with headphones which he would listen to when not at work. Describe modern Information and Communication Technology devices John would use today. (5)

20. Explain the advantages of these devices to John. (4)

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E Chapter 1 Exam Questions

Mr George owns a number of garages that sell and service luxury cars. He is looking for ways to use ICT to improve the way the businesses operate and also make a profit. Mr George wants to improve the servicing of cars. Describe one ICT device for the receptionist to register a customer bringing a car in for service. SP08

*2+ There are divides between various groups in the world. There are those who have access

to ICT and those who do not - this is called the digital divide. Describe a range of hardware & software tools that can enable a physically disabled person to use computer systems effectively. *4+ Describe the equipment a bank customer will need if they are going to use an online banking system.

*2+

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Kamran Hussein is the manager of a firm of accountants. He has decided that the cost of using the large office block his firm rents is too much. He intends to move to a smaller building with just two or three ‘interview’ rooms. He and the five other accountants will be working from home and just come into the new office when they have to meet clients. All accountants will be connected to the office using the Internet so that files of information can be transmitted to the computer in the office. Kamran is a little concerned that the Internet may not be a secure enough means of transmitting information. He thinks a better way may be for the accountants to either send the information through the post or bring it into the office using a removable medium. The total amount of information which will be placed on these media will be no more than 100Mb. Kamran has been told that the different media he could use for the accountants to store the data they will bring into the office or post are Blu-ray, DVD RAM or memory sticks. Each accountant will have their own PDA. Discuss the size of the storage media that Kamran is considering. Include the uses they are normally put to and suggest the most appropriate medium for Kamran’s purpose. *6+ Explain how PDAs will benefit the accountants in their day to day working routines. *3+

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After many successful years of trading, Shazad supermarkets are extending their services to include a home shopping service. Customers will log on to the service using their home computers, choose the products they wish to buy, and then these will be delivered to their home for a small extra charge. The local supermarket will have workers who will go round the store collecting the goods together so that home delivery can take place. Describe the minimum hardware and software requirements of the home computer which will be used in this system and why they are needed. *3+ Mr Devlin is the principal of a college of education. He has decided to upgrade the computer network. He wants to have a new system which will allow the college to keep student personal records and test marks. He also wants to have a system which will let the students have the opportunity to use computers to improve their learning. He has invited Sara Lopez, a systems analyst, to design and create the new system. When Sara is designing the new system she will produce a number of recommendations. She will need to choose input devices and software for use with the system. Explain the choices she will have to make. *4+

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E

/20 Chapter 2:

How Organizations use ICT

Section 2.1a Air-conditioning, central heating and refrigeration 1 - Briefly describe how each of the following works: Air conditioning [2] Central heating [2] Refrigeration [2] 2 - Name one sensor for each application and describe what it does. [2]

Air conditioning Name of sensor: What does it do:

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Central heating [2]

Name of sensor: What does it do: Refrigeration [2]

Name of sensor：

What does it do:

3 - All 3 systems rely on feedback. What is feedback? [2] 4 - Describe the roles of the following in control systems, giving examples : ADC [3] DAC [3]

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E

Section 2.1b Robots 1 - How are robots programmed? [2] 2 - What is an end effector ? Give 2 examples of different end effectors. [3] 3 - Robots are used in a jam making company. What are the advantages and

disadvantages of robots to a company and employees? [4]

4 - A robot arm is used on a production line to fasten lids onto jam jars. Detail how the

robot would go through the process of fastening a lid onto a jam jar, including in your description the types of sensors and actuators that would be used. [8]

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E

Section 2.1c

Process Control 1 - Briefly describe what each of these are and give an example of where each one would be used: Batch processing: [2] Example: Continuous processing: [2] Example: Discrete processing: [2] Example: 2 – Describe the difference is between a closed feedback and an open feedback system? [3]

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4 – Describe the role of a PLC. [2] 5 - Give two examples of where a PLC would be used. [2] 6 - Why would a PLC probably not be used in a central heating system? [1] 7 - Describe the role of a PID in a control system. [2] 8 – Describe 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of computer control. [4]

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E Section 2.2 Home-working (Tele-working), Remote working, Office based working 1– Describe 2 examples of changes that have occurred due to the introduction of ICT.

*2+

2 - Give 2 examples of jobs that have been lost due to the introduction of ICT.

*2+ 3 - Give 2 examples of jobs have been created due to the introduction of ICT.

*2+

4 - Briefly describe what Teleworking is, and give three examples of businesses that might emply teleworkers.

*4+ 5 - Why do some businesses and workers prefer office-based working?

*2+

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6 - Read each statement and decide which ones are advantages of Teleworking and which ones are disadvantages of Teleworking. *9+ Copy the statements into the correct boxes below.

1 - It may be easier to concentrate at

home than in a noisy office and you

4 - No commuting to work required and

thus no time wasted sitting in traffic –

arrive at work feeling fresh. Also more

2 - Separating business and family life

can be difficult particularly if there are

7 - Some workers may not feel part of

the organization as they are so remote.

6 - Flexible hours are possible which

would widen the number of people able

to work and allow workers to take and

5 - Some managers have concerns over

ability to control working environment

from a health and safety aspect as well

3 - Possible feeling of isolation as will

not benefit from face to face interaction

8 - Organizations can occupy smaller

buildings and save on overhead costs if

less workers are office based.

9 - Employees can be recruited from a

wide geographically area to overcome

Teleworking

Disadvantages Advantages

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7—Describe four different ways in which teleworkers are able to stay in contact with their offices, and for each method, list the hardware that would be required. *8+ 8—Describe the personal qualities that a teleworker should ideally have, giving a reason for each quality and examples of when/how this quality might be required. *15+ 9—One of the problems associated with teleworking is that teleworkers often feel lonely. Describe how managers can prevent this, giving examples of methods they could use. *6+ 10—Describe the difference between teleworking and remote working, giving four examples of businesses which might need to employ remote workers. *6+ 11— Describe the role of VPNs and RAS in remote working, giving examples of who might use them, and for what. *6+

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E

Video Conferencing and Phone Conferencing

1 - Describe the hardware and software required for video conferencing *11+

2 - What are the advantages and disadvantages of using video conferencing? *4+ 3 - Describe the steps involved in logging into/becoming a part of a telephone conference.

*5+

4—why do participants in a telephone conference need to have a touch tone phone? *1+ 5—Describe one advantage of a telephone conference over a video conference. *2+ 6—Describe one advantage of a video conference over a telephone conference. *2+

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E Section 2.3 The use of ICT in Advertising SIS recently attended an education fair, where we had a stand advertising the school to prospective parents. We used a combination of advertising media: a multimedia presentation playing on a large TV screen, posters, brochures and flyers. Taking each of these media in turn, explain what it is, why it was used, the features and the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

multimedia presentation *7+

what it is why they are used

Features

advantages disadvantages

Poster *7+ what it is why they are used

Features

advantages disadvantages

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Brochure *7+ what it is why they are used

Features

advantages disadvantages Flyer *7+ what it is why they are used

Features

advantages disadvantages 2— In addition, SIS has a school website. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to the school of creating & maintaining a website. *8+

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3— Describe the difference between product advertising and business advertising. *2+ 4—SCAD (Soi Cats and Dogs charity) wants to raise public awareness of their organizations and the work they do. They have the following choices:

A television advert An advert in the Bangkok Post An advert on the Thai Visa website

Their own website (www.scadbangkok.org)

Handing out flyers on a Saturday morning in MBK Putting their contact details onto CraigsList or a similar directory

Discuss the relative costs, advantages and disadvantages of each of these methods, and suggest whether or not each is appropriate for a charitable organization such as SCAD. *24+

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E

Section 2.4 ICT in Teaching & Learning 1. CAI is Computer Aided Instruction. Describe what this is,

and describe the features of a CAI package. *8+

2. Describe the differences between CAI and CAL. Include in your answer some examples of ICT devices and media that are used at SIS in the delivery of lessons and assemblies. *8+

3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using ICT to record students’ marks for exams, homework assignments and effort etc. *4+

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4. Traditional methods of formative assessment include marking, where a teacher reads what a pupil has written, and then writes comments on the work before handing it back. Summative assessment has traditionally been done through the use of written exams. What advantages are offered by switching to CAA in both of these cases? *6+

5. Some schools and Universities are reluctant to switch completely to CAA. Discuss possible reasons for this, giving clear examples of problems that could occur when a CAA system is used. *6+

6. Mr Devlin is the principal of a college of education. He has decided to upgrade the computer network. He wants to have a new system which will allow the college to keep student personal records and test marks. He also wants to have a system which will let the students have the opportunity to use computers to improve their learning. He has invited Sara Lopez, a systems analyst, to design and create the new system.

Describe the types of input devices and software that she could recommend so that students will benefit from the use of CAL and CBL. Spec P1 Q5b *6+

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E Section 2.5 ICT in Publishing 1. A newspaper has journalists in its own town and in

many cities around the world. Describe how the different journalists will submit their text and images to the editor. Include in your answer details of all the hardware and software they will use, both at home and abroad. *8+

2. Describe the different software applications and tools that the editor will use to prepare the newspaper for printing. *4+

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3. Describe the decisions that have to be made at the typesetting stage of publishing. *4+

4. Describe the four different methods of transmitting completed pages to the printing

plant. *10+

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5. Identify the advantages to the newspaper office of using ICT, giving specific examples wherever you can. Make sure your answer includes references to time, staff, location, cost and profit and competitiveness. You will need to undertake some independent research in order to answer this question properly. *20+

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E Section 2.6 ICT in Time Management 1. Define the term Time Management. *5+ 2. Microsoft Outlook is an organizer package that comes as standard with most new computers. Describe how the features of such a package could help a project manager and his team of workers. *12+

3.What are Gantt charts useful for? Describe how a Project Manager would use a Gantt chart in the management of a project. *4+

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E Section 2.7 ICT in Data Management 1. Serial or sequential files are normally stored on

what type of media? *1+ 2. What type of media are indexed sequential files kept on? Why? *2+ 3. Describe the disadvantages associated with storing data using ordered or unordered sequential files. *5+ 4. Of the three methods of file storage - serial/sequential, Indexed sequential, Random Access - decide which is the fastest and which is the slowest. Complete the table below: *3+

5. Describe, giving clear examples, the difference between a flat file database and a relational database. *3+

Fastest Middle Slowest

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6. Read each statement below about the different file types and decide which file type it belongs to, using the following key: *12+

Serial (unordered sequential access) - SA Ordered Sequential access – OA Indexed sequential access – IA Random access – RA

Statements about file types: There are 3 sentences to identify for each file type

Statement about file type Your Answer Correct Answer

Data accessed in pre determined sequence

Records stored in any order

Adding/deleting record requires making new file (so that the sequence is maintained)

Records stored on tape one after another

The records are stored at known address which is calculated by applying a mathematical function to the key field

Unsorted transaction file

An index consists of keys and addresses, just like an index in a book

stored on a direct access backing storage medium e.g. magnetic disc, CD, DVD

Records stored in sorted order, with use of key field

Is classed as a sequential file (i.e. sorted into order of a key field) which has an index

A shopping list is an example of this

Important for applications where data needs to be accessed sequentially , one record after another or randomly using the index.

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E Section 2.8 Payroll 1. Explain why a payroll system usually involves

the use of batch processing. *2+ 2. Payroll processing involves two types of file. What are these files, and

what data does each contain? *4+

3. Describe the media that these files would be held on, giving a reason for

the choice of media. *2+ 4. Describe how the files are organized on this media. *2+ 5. Describe the three types of outputs from a payroll system. *6+

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6. Payroll is completed using data from a master file and also a transaction file. On the payslip below, use highlighter pens to do the following:

Highlight in red/pink all the data items that have come from the master file *6+

Highlight in yellow/green all the data items that have come from the transaction file *2+

Highlight in blue all the data items that were calculated at the time of processing *6+

7. Would a payroll system use a flat file database or a relational database? Explain your answer, giving clear examples of fields, field types and primary key(s) that would be used. *5+

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E

Section 2.9 Technical and Customer Support 1. List the hardware that is required for each operator

in a call center. *6+ 2. Describe the role of IVR software in routing calls in a call centre. *3+ 3. Why do many companies site their call centres in other countries such as India? Include

in your answer an explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of moving the customer support section of a UK mail-order company to a place like Bangalore. *5+

4. What is the advantage to a call center operative of having a script? *3+ 5. What are the advantages and disadvantages to a customer of call centers/technical help

desks? *4+ 6. Discuss the personal qualities necessary for a call center/technical help desk operative.

You will have to undertake some research to answer this question properly. *5+

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E End of Unit Test

This is an end of topic test. Do not use your computer or textbooks. This test will be completed under exam conditions. Please read the question carefully. Use the mark allocation as a guide to how much you should write. 2.1 – Control Systems Use of Robots A company has started to use robots in its manufacturing plant. Describe how the movements of the robotic arm were originally programmed into the computer. *5+ 2.2 – Working practices Remote working An accounts firm is encouraging its employees to work from home using remote working/ teleworking. Discuss the effect of working at home rather than working in the office from the point of view of the firm (employer) and the accountants (employee) *7+ 2.3 – Use of ICT in advertising ICT in advertising Mosola owns a car manufacturing company. He has considered a number of ways in which ICT could be used to advertise the company, but has decided on a web page. Discuss the reasons for his choice when compared to other ICT alternatives? *6+

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2.4 – Use of ICT in teaching and learning CAL A principal of a school wants to computers in a Computer Aided learning environment. Describe how this approach can help students and teachers with learning and assessment? *6+ 2.5 – Use of ICT in publishing Plate making Describe the role of computers in plate making and type setting. *2+ 2.6 – Use of ICT in time management Time management A project manager on a building site wants to use a computer to help him with his time management. Explain how the computer will help. *6+ 2.7 – Use of ICT in data management Storage of student records in a school A school wants to store student personal records and text marks. Name the medium they would use and describe how the data would be stored and accessed. *5+

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2.8 – Payroll applications Processing wages The workers at a Company in London are hourly paid. The number of hours worked are sent by the company network to the accounts department in the main office. Describe how a payroll system would take this data and produce their pay slips. *4+ 2.9 – Technical and customer support Call centers A company wants to set up a call centre in another country. Describe the features of the hardware and software that they will need to buy to set up the call centre. *6+ 2.10 – Art and design Art editing software What common features would a typical image editing software use? *4+

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E Chapter 2 Exam Questions

The North India Motor Company is a manufacturer of cars and vans. It has a modern factory and a computerized production line in New Delhi. Robot arms are used in the manufacture of each car. The company is planning to introduce a new sports car and wishes to advertise this car. It is trying to decide between advertising on its own website and advertising on somebody else’s website using pop-ups. 1 (a) Describe four end effectors, other than a drill, in terms of the tasks each would

perform assembling the cars. *4+

(b) Describe how a robot arm would be programmed to drill holes in the car body. *4+ (c) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to the car company of using robot arms rather than humans. *6+

2 (a) There are three types of advertising; business, product and service advertising. Name and describe the type of advertising that is used to promote sales of a sports car. *3+

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(b) Text can be entered into a website using a keyboard. Describe how other input devices can be used to enter information for inclusion in a website. *4+

Some teachers at the Nairobi International School use computers to store records of their students including examination results. The Headteacher Peter Onyango has decided that all teachers will use computers to keep their assessment records and that this information will be stored centrally.

3 Explain how the teachers would make use of spreadsheets to record and use student

data. *6+

Jaypeg is a graphics company whose workload varies from week to week. It employs a number of permanent staff and as the amount of work increases additional staff have to be employed on a temporary basis. The permanent staff are paid monthly but the temporary staff are paid weekly according to the number of hours worked. The company is to introduce a computerized payroll system which will consist of a separate system for the permanent workers and one for the temporary workers. The payroll department is the only department to be given a new computer system. Cost is important and the company do not wish to pay more than they have to for the new system.

4 (a) Describe the information that will need to be stored about the temporary workers on the

(i) master file *3+ (ii) transaction file *1+

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(b) Using examples, describe the contents of the financial reports that will be produced when creating payslips. *5+

Daniel is a surveyor. His job includes the accurate measuring of the dimensions of buildings in order to calculate the area of land being used. He also needs to be able to access information about each property very quickly in addition to writing reports. As he is frequently away from his office, time management software is an important tool he must use to organise his day. While he is out of the office, he must remain in contact with his colleagues in order to receive or give instructions about particular jobs.

5 (a) Other than time management software, describe, with examples of their use, the hardware and software that Daniel needs when he is away from the office. *5+ (b) Describe how Daniel would use time management software to help him organize meeting times. *3+

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Islamabad Translation Services is a company which employs a number of workers who translate documents between English and Urdu. Because much of the work is done on an individual basis, Faisal, the manager wants to allow the translators to work from home. Shaista is a translator and she would like to work from home. She, like other workers, already has a standard PC with monitor, keyboard and mouse.

6 (a) Describe the personal characteristics that Shaista would need to have before Faisal would recommend that she be allowed to work from home. *3+ (b) Describe, including their uses, the extra hardware that each worker will need to have in order to work from home. *3+ 7 Faisal wants to remain in contact with his workers and has considered regular video conferences for this. He feels this would also enable him to check on their work.

(a) Describe the extra hardware which Faisal would have to provide for each worker to take part in a video conference. *3+

(b) Explain why Faisal would use a video conference rather than a phone conference. *2+ An Egyptian book publishing company, Cairo Press, is looking to expand its operations. They wish to increase their advertising to extend their customer base. Their preferred method of advertising would be using a website, though they have the ICT facilities necessary to use a variety of methods. If they do create their own website they will ask Ali, one of their most talented workers, to produce it. However, they are concerned about his lack of organizational skills.

8 (a) Describe how time management software would help Ali to plan the creation of the website. *4+

Page total 46

(b) Describe, giving the uses of each, six different types of software which Ali could use to create the website. *6+ (c) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to a company of advertising on somebody else’s website rather than creating their own website. *5+ (d) Give the advantages of using flyers to advertise the company locally. *4+

Sellafield food shops is a national chain of supermarkets in the UK. They have recently implemented a website for their customers, who can now order their shopping online and have it delivered to their home. They have also created an overseas call centre so that if customers have problems with the website they can contact the company to fix these problems.

9 (a) Describe the features of Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) software which will

be used in the call centre. *5+

Page total 47

E Chapter 3

The Impact of ICT on Society

Section 3.1 Online Services 1. Briefly describe the features you would expect to find on an online shopping website. *4+ 2. Describe the factors that have caused online shopping to be come more popular in recent years. *10+ 3. List the steps involved in making an online purchase. *9+

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Page total 48

4. Describe the security issues facing people who use online shopping services. What can happen, and what could the consequences be? *4+

5. Describe the measures that can be taken by an online shopper to protect themselves

against these issues. *5+ 6. A company wants to set up an online store. What hardware will they need, and what

other tools or applications will they need? *6+ 7. What are the benefits to a company of setting up an online shop rather than trading

from a physical shop in the city? *4+ 8. What are the disadvantages to a company of setting up an online shop rather than

trading from a physical shop in the city? *4+

Page total 49

E Banking 1. What are the advantages to the customer of using online banking services? *7+

2. What are the advantages to the bank of offering online services? *5+ 3. What are the disadvantages to the customer of using online banking services? *9+ 4. What are the disadvantages to the bank of offering online banking services? *5+

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Page total 50

5. What kind of things can you do with online banking? Go to http://ibank.barclays.co.uk/ or http://www.scbeasy.com to find out about the services that are offered to online banking customers. *5+

6. What are the security issues associated with online banking services? *5+ 7. How do online banks deal with security issues? *4+ 8. What hardware is required by the customer? *3+ 9. What software do they require? *4+ 10. Why are customers asked to enter random characters from their password when

logging in to an online banking service? *2+

Page total 51

E Section 3.2 Online Services & Employment

Why have some jobs been lost due to the introduction of online services? *2+ Give examples of some types of jobs that have been lost because of the introduction of ICT. *4+ Why have some jobs been created due to the introduction of online services? *2+ Give examples of jobs that have been created because of the introduction of ICT. *6+ Why have some jobs changed due to the introduction of online services? *2+

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Page total 52

Describe some of the different work patterns that have occurred due to the introduction of online services. *9+ Despite the fact that the introduction of ICT has led , in many cases, to shorter working days or working weeks, and to greater unemployment, research suggests that workers do not in fact have more leisure time. Why is this? Give real examples to illustrate your answer. *5+

Page total 53

E Section 3.4 Online Services & Working patterns

1. What are the benefits to employers of employing part-time workers? *5+

2. Part time work may mean less income for an employee, but what are the benefits to workers of going part-time? *2+ 3. A book store currently has 10 full-time employees, each earning $300 per week. They each work from 9am until 5am, 5 days per week. The manager wants to run the store as an online shop, which means that he will not need full time staff now. Instead, he will need 3 part time staff every evening (6 days per week) to pack orders ready for dispatch. He will also need two part-time secretaries and a part time driver. In addition, he will employ a part-time web-designer to maintain the website. Some of his staff are angry at having their hours cut, while some are happy to work shorter hours. Some of his staff will not work part time and need to be replaced. What initial costs will the manager face as he makes the change? *2+ What problems might part-time workers face? *4+

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Page total 54

4. Describe some of the advantages that job-sharing might bring to workers *4+ 5. Some jobs are advertised as job-shares, and sometimes employers will not hire a full time worker: they insist on hiring two people to job share. Why might a worker be unhappy about this? *4+ 6. Describe some of the advantages to an employer of allowing workers to job-share. *6+ 7. There are some problems for employers that are associated with employing job-sharing

workers. Describe these. *3+

Page total 55

8. Flexitime allows workers to choose their own working hours, providing they work the required total number of hours per week. This means that instead of working from 8am until 5pm, five days per week, they can have much greater control over the times that arrive for and leave work. Discuss the reasons why flexitime is popular with workers today. *5+ 9. Why might an employer want to offer flexitime to its workers instead of fixed working hours? *5+ 10. Describe the personal qualities you would expect a flexitime worker to have. *5+ 11. Are there any problems faced by flexitime employers? Discuss these. *4+

Page total 56

12. What is meant by the term teleworking? *2+ 13. What are the two major advantages to an employer of allowing

staff to telework? *2+ 14. It can be difficult for an employer to adequately supervise teleworking staff. Describe

some of the strategies that an employer could use to ensure that such staff are working properly and effectively. *6+

15. Teleworking is a popular way of working with many people. Why? *4+ 16. Describe some of the problems that a teleworker might have to deal with as a result of

this method of working: *8+

Page total 57

E

Section 3.5 Online Services and Security & Privacy of data 1. Describe what is meant by encryption. *3+ 2. Does encryption protect data from all malicious events? Explain your

answer fully, giving a clear example. *3+

3. What is the difference between a public key and a private key? *2+ 4. Why do online banking systems require users to enter random characters from their security password instead of asking for the full password? *3+ 5. Explain how fraudsters may still be able to obtain account and password information from an online banking customer even when encryption is used. *4+

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Page total 58

6. Text messages and mobile phone calls are not encrypted. Despite this, some banks send TANs via SMS. How does a TAN support online banking security, and how do banks ensure the safety of the TAN whilst using an insecure system such as SMS for its delivery? *2+ 7. Explain the step-by-step process of using a handheld chip & PIN device to make online purchases from home *7+ Customer logs on to bank or shop website using username and password Selects service or item Connects Chip & PIN device to computer & inserts card Enters PIN for card PIN is verified TAN is issued which can only be used for this purchase/transaction Customer enters TAN into bank/shopping website 8. When making a purchase online, there are a number of things a customer can do to keep themselves safe. Describe the ways in which a customer can protect himself while shopping online. *5+ Check for https:// or padlock icon Check & verify contact details of company Read privacy policy & returns policy Always use a credit card Print out details of the transaction

Page total 59

9. List the eight principles of the Data Protection Act. For each one, give an example of how it could be broken. *16+ 10. Explain what a ‘personal duty of confidence’ means for a person who works in either a bank or a hospital. *3+ 11. Give an example of how a supermarket might use anonymised information. Explain clearly why anonymised information is appropriate in this case. *1+ 12.What is meant by aggregated information? Give an example of how aggregated information could be used by a school. *3+

Page total 60

13. Describe what ‘skimming’ is, and how it happens. *3+ Copy of card is made using a special reader Usually when the waiter takes the card away to swipe it Card details are then used to make fraudulent transactions 14. Describe what is meant by phishing, giving a clear example of a phishing scam *4+ Details of credit cards, bank accounts etc are given out by customers To people that they think are representatives of real organizations Often via email, usually includes a professional looking website Reward and reasonable example 15. What is meant by pharming? How does it differ from phishing? *2+ Customer’s browser is redirected to a fraudulent website. Phishing is where the user is tricked: pharming is where the computer is tricked. 16. Give an example of how spyware might come to be installed on a person’s computer system, and the kind of effect it may have on the user. *2+ usually when downloading software or installing downloaded software May contain keylogger software or may check system for personal details of the user and email back to the creator 17. Other than hacking or the interception of credit card details, describe some of the ways in which users of online auctions or online shopping services could be defrauded. *3+

Page total 61

E Section 3.6 Online Services and Health & Safety 1. Describe the two most common RSI Ailments that are suffered by computer users. For each, describe how they are caused and give two methods of prevention. Methods of prevention should be different in each case. *10+ Carpal tunnel syndrome Causes pain in the forearm & wrist Caused by continuous repetitive small movements eg clicking a mouse repeatedly for a long period of time Can be prevented by using a wrist support Also by ensuring wrists and hands are kept level, in line with forearm Cubital tunnel syndrome Causes pain in elbow Caused by keeping elbow bent while makingcalls Can be prevented by keepin elbows tucked in to side And at right angles to upper arms. 2. Describe some of the symptoms you might experience if you had upper

back or neck problems caused by computer use. *4+ Neck pain Shoulder pain Weakness of arm & hand Headaches

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Page total 62

3. Describe the common causes of visual problems, and discuss how both employers and employees can help to minimize these risks. *16+ Screen glare Poor screen position Poor lighting Employers: Provide good quality seating with back support Seating should be adjustable Provide footrest if necessary Breaks should be provided Screen filters/ window blinds should be provided where necessary Adequate & appropriate lighting Training Employees: Adjust monitor for correct height/brightness/contrast etc Follow H&S guidance Adjust chair correctly Use footrest if necessary Correct seating position Ensure appropriate breaks are taken 4. List the safety measures that should be taken to prevent electrocution *5+ 5. Describe the causes and preventions of fire hazards. *5+

Page total 63

E End of Unit Test

This is an end of topic test. It will be completed under exam conditions. Please read the questions carefully and note how many marks each question is worth. Use this as a guide to how much you should write. Section 3.1 – Online services Describe some of the advantages and disadvantages to customers and banks who use online banking *8+ Section 3.2 – Online services and employment Describe what effect the introduction of a new ICT system would have on the employment prospects of employees in a company. Include some changes some employees might have to accept. *6+

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Page total 64

Section 3.3 – Online services and leisure time Describe the effects that online services have had on leisure time. *3+ Section 3.4 – Online services and working practices Describe the effects that the introduction of a new computer system might have on the working opportunities and practices for employees? *5+

Page total 65

Section 3.5 – Online services and security and privacy of data a) A company has to follow data protection rules when storing data about its

customers. Describe 4 rules which the company must obey. *4+ b) Explain what could happen if the company did not have to obey data

protection rules. *3+

Section 3.6 – Online services and health When a new computer system is used in a company, employees may need to use a computer for a long period of time. Describe the health and safety issues that may arise from this. *7+

Page total 66

E

Chapter 3 Exam Questions

June 09 Midtown Bank in the UK operates an online banking system. Some customers have had difficulties when using this system and so the bank has introduced phone banking. The bank has a call centre in Mumbai, India. When using phone banking, customers are asked to provide the same personal details as when using the online system. Customers are asked to provide three characters from their password. These are never the same three characters in successive logins. The bank stores a lot of personal information about its customers. 1 (a) Identify two items of information, other than their password that customers might be asked to provide when using the systems. *2+ 1 (b) Give two reasons why customers are asked to type in only three characters from their password. *2+ 2 (a) Discuss the effects that the introduction of online banking has had on the bank’s employees. *6+

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Page total 67

2 (b) Call centre operators sit at computer terminals for long periods of time. Describe how health problems result from this computer use. *5+ 2 (c) Explain the social and ethical implications of bank workers being able to access customers’ personal information. *6+ 2 (d) Describe some of the security threats that the bank and customers must guard against when using online banking. *4+

Page total 68

East African Motors have car sales showrooms in Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya, Kampala in Uganda and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Their head office is in Nairobi. Often the sales people feel that certain updates should be made to the website by the company’s programmers. However as many of the programmers work from home they can sometimes be difficult to contact. The sales people have suggested that the company provide the programmers with appropriate video conferencing equipment. This would enable them to hold regular meetings with the programmers. 3 (a) Identify all the hardware a programmer would need in order to take part in a video conference. *2+ 3 (b) Describe the steps the programmer would take to participate in the conference. *3+ 4 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to the programmer of working from home. *6+

Page total 69

Nov 2009 Roundabout Food Shops is a national chain of supermarkets in India. The head office is in New Delhi though the supermarkets are distributed throughout India. It already has its own website where customers can find out where their local store is and can see what products are stocked. Roundabout Food Shops wants to develop its website so that customers can order their shopping online and have it delivered to their home. It has employed a number of designers to develop the website. They will work in groups developing different aspects of the website. They will need to operate a call centre so that if customers have problems with the website they can contact the company about it. 5. Describe the security measures that the designers will need to include to prevent personal data being used by unauthorised users. *4+ 6. Describe the steps that a customer using the website would have to follow in order to purchase items and have them delivered. *4+

Page total 70

7. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to the customer of using such a system. *6+ 8. Describe the effects that the introduction of online shopping would have on the employment of workers at Roundabout Food Shops. Include the effects on working patterns. *6+

Page total 71

Nov 2008 Rahman Computers have decided to close down the major stores where they sell their computers. They will be replacing these with a warehouse. Customers will place their orders on-line through Rahman Computers’ website giving their personal details. There will need to be several office workers who will process orders. The orders will then go to the warehouse where workers will find the hardware which has been ordered. They then put them on a conveyor belt which takes them to the loading bay. Other workers in the loading bay then take the hardware off the conveyor belt and load the lorries. These are then used to deliver the items to the customer’s homes. As well as this the company has decided to operate a call centre of computer technicians. Customers will be able to phone the centre if they have a problem with their machines and the technicians will help rectify the problem. 9. The company has to follow data protection rules when storing data about its customers. Describe four rules which the company must obey. *4+ 10. Explain what could happen if the company did not have to obey data protection rules. *3+

Page total 72

11. Describe what effect the introduction of the system will have on the

employment prospects of the employees at the major stores. Include the changes some employees may have to accept. *6+

Islamabad Translation Services is a company which employs a number of workers who translate documents between English and Urdu. Because much of the work is done on an individual basis, Faisal, the manager wants to allow the translators to work from home. Shaista is a translator and she would like to work from home. She, like other workers, already has a standard PC with monitor, keyboard and mouse. 12. Describe the personal characteristics that Shaista would need to have before Faisal would recommend that she be allowed to work from home. *3+

Page total 73

13. Describe, including their uses, the extra hardware that each worker will need to have in order to work from home. *3+ Sellafield food shops is a national chain of supermarkets in the UK. They have recently implemented a website for their customers, who can now order their shopping online and have it delivered to their home. They have also created an overseas call centre so that if customers have problems with the website they can contact the company to fix these problems. The management of the call centre is to introduce shorter working periods (shifts) due to pressure from the workers. 14. Describe the features of a well designed online shopping website. *4+ 15. Explain the security issues involved with such a website. *3+

Page total 74

16. Discuss whether customers should feel concerned about using this online shopping system. *6+ 17. Describe some of the health and safety problems which might occur because of the call centre operators’ use of computers. *4+ 18.Describe possible changes to the working patterns of call centre operators caused by the new shift patterns. *4+

Page total 75

Alexandria Regional Bank is a small bank with three branches. However, it wants to introduce an online banking system using the Internet. In order to ensure that the system will work effectively it has employed the services of a systems analyst. The analyst will investigate the current methods of carrying out transactions. At the moment, all paying in slips and cheques are gathered together in the course of the day and are then batch processed overnight. Many customers pay their bills by writing a cheque together with the invoice which is similar to a paying in slip. Sometimes customers call in or phone the branch to find out the balance on their account. Statements are only sent to customers at the end of each month. 19. Some customers are worried that they will have to type in their bank account details. Discuss why you think this will be a problem or not. *4+ 20. Describe the effects that the introduction of the new system will have on the people who work at the bank in terms of employment and working patterns. *4+

Page total 76

21. Explain what responsibilities the bank has with regard to its customers and the data they will store about them. Discuss the types of security measure it will need to introduce. *6+ 22. The majority of employees will now be sat working at computers all day. Describe some of the health and safety issues which arise because of this. *5+

Page total 77

E

These questions are based on pages 61- 66 of your book. 1. Name the first and last stages of the Systems Life Cycle

*2+ 2. What is the purpose of a feasibility study?

*3+

3. During the analysis phase, what are the FOUR main ways of collecting information? *4+

4. What are the SIX main tasks done by the analyst during the systems analysis stage? *6+

5. How will the analyst decide on the size of memory and the types of input & output devices needed?

*4+

Chapter 4 The Systems Life Cycle: Analysis

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Page total 78

6. Interviews are an important way of gathering information during the systems analysis stage. What is the main advantage of interviews over questionnaires?

*2+

7. Give ONE reason why a questionnaire may be better than an interview, using an example of a real-life scenario

*4 + 8. Give TWO other disadvantages of interviews.

*2+

9. What is the purpose of a Data Flow Diagram? *2+

10. What is the “Hawthorne effect” ? *3+

11. In which stage of the Systems Life Cycle is a flowchart normally found? *1+

12. What is meant by the term “Requirements Specification”?

Page total 79

*3+ 13. Name the 6 stages of the systems life cycle and briefly explain each one *6+ 14. What methods does the systems analyst use to collect information about the current system. Give the advantages and disadvantages of each method. *12+

Page total 80

South African Motors is a car engine manufacturing company which has just started manufacturing complete cars. They are looking to sell cars throughout Africa. The factory is in East London and they have a main office in Johannesburg, where the manager, Simphiwe, organises the day to day running of the business. The main office employs a lot of workers to produce the company payroll for all the workers in East London and for those in Johannesburg. There is also a human resources department in the main office in Johannesburg which keeps all the files on each worker. Simphiwe has decided it might be a good idea to computerise the payroll system and also the human resource department records. He has asked a systems analyst to investigate the current system and to suggest a replacement system.

Discuss the different methods of researching the current system and suggest an appropriate method the systems analyst could use. (Use the back of this page)

*6+

Page total 81

E

1. Name the six things that are designed during the design stage. *6+ 2. What are the two other tasks that are carried out at this time? *2+ 3. What is ‘Purpose built software? Give an example of a purpose-built application. *2+ 4. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using purpose-built software, giving an example to support each point you make. *7+

Chapter 4 The Systems Life Cycle: Design

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Page total 82

5. What is ‘Off-the-Shelf’ software? Give an example of an off-the-shelf application. *2+ 6. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using off-the-shelf software, giving an example to support each point you make. [7]

7. When designing a data capture form, what three things should be considered? Give a

reason and/or an example to support each point you make in your answer. *9+

8. What five things must be considered when designing input screens, and why? *10+

Page total 83

9. Outputs from a system may come in three different media. What are these media? *1+ 10. The designer will have to design the tables that will hold the data. Describe the attributes of a table that will need to be designed at this stage. *6+ 11. What is the purpose of validation? *1+ 12. Identify a type of field in a database that would NOT have validation applied to it. Give a reason why validation could not be applied to this field. *2+ 13. For each of these field types, identify a suitable validation check: *5+

Field type Validation check

Text

Currency

Numeric

Staff ID

Car Registration

Page total 84

14. Describe three advantages of using coding, giving clear examples. *6+ 15. Validation routines are one way of reducing errors during data entry. Verification is another method of reducing errors at this stage. Describe the difference between validation and verification, giving an example of each. *4+ 16. There are a number of ways of verifying data during data entry. Some are manual, some are automated. Describe one manual method of verifying data and one automated method , giving clear examples of each. *4+ 17. Describe what happens during the final stage of the Design phase of a new system. *2+ 18. Explain how a user’s output requirements would affect the choice of hardware, giving clear examples of scenarios in which different users night choose different types of printer or monitor. *5+

Page total 85

E

Chapter 4 Testing Strategies

1. What will a test plan contain? *2+

2. Describe the three different types of test data, giving examples of each. *6+ 3. If a new system is testing using these three types of data, why is it then necessary to test the system again using live data? Explain your answer fully, giving examples. *3+

4. Some teachers at the Nairobi International School use computers to store records

of their students including examination results. The Headteacher Peter Onyango has decided that all teachers will use computers to keep their assessment records and that this information will be stored centrally.

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Page total 86

In order to introduce this new system Peter has asked Mary, a systems analyst, to analyse the existing paper based system that a number of teachers are still using. Each student has a unique ten digit student number. After the analysis phase Mary will design the new system. Part of this process will be the design of validation checks. Mary will use presence checks and existency checks on the student number and presence checks on the examination scores, which are marks out of 100. In addition, Mary will need to decide on other validation checks. (a) Discuss the suitability of the additional validation checks that Mary could use on the

student number and the examination scores. *8+ (b) After the system has been developed, the entry of examination results will be tested. Describe a suitable test plan with appropriate test data. *5+

Page total 87

E

Chapter 4 Implementation

1. Describe what is meant by Parallel Running. *1+ 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Parallel running? *4+ 3. Give one example of a business , organization or instance for whom parallel running might be an appropriate solution, explaining clearly which this is the best method for this situation. *2+ 4. Describe what is meant by Direct Changeover. *1+ 5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Direct Changeover? *4+

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Page total 88

6. Give one example of a business , organization or instance for whom Direct Changeover might be an appropriate solution, explaining clearly which this is the best method for this situation. *2+ 7. Give one example of a business , organization or instance for whom Direct Changeover might WOULD NOT be an appropriate solution, explaining clearly why it would be unsuitable. *2+ 8. Describe what is meant by Phased Implementation. *1+ 9. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Phased Implementation? *4+

Page total 89

10. Give one example of a business , organization or instance for whom Phased Implementation might be an appropriate solution, explaining clearly which this is the best method for this situation. *2+ 11. Describe what is meant by Pilot Running. *1+ 12. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Pilot Running? *3+ 13. Give one example of a business , organization or instance for whom Pilot Running might be an appropriate solution, explaining clearly which this is the best method for this situation. *2+ 14. Give one example of a business , organization or instance for whom Pilot Running WOULD NOT be an appropriate solution, explaining clearly why it would be unsuitable. *2+

Page total 90

E

15. Why is Pilot Running a slow method of implementation? *1+

Chapter 4 Documentation

1. Read each statement below and decided which type of user documentation it is from: Systems Documentation, Program Documentation, or User Documentation *9+ 2. Mr Mustapha is the head teacher of a large school. The school currently has a computer network but he wants to have a new system which will allow the school to keep student personal records and test marks. He also wants to have a system which will let the students have the opportunity to use

/40

Documentation Elements Which type of documentation is it?

Input and output data formats that have been used

What to do when errors occur

Test plans and test results so the system analyst can see the results of this

Program flow charts that were produced at the design stage

What is expected of the system

Frequently Asked Questions/ Trouble shooting guide

Notes to help future programmer to make modifications to the system

Overall design decisions such as choice of hardware and software

Purpose of the system

Page total 91

computers to improve their learning. He has invited Joanne Reeves, a systems analyst, to design and create the new system. Joanne will need to produce technical documentation. Describe the two types of technical documentation she will produce. *6+ 3. Describe the items included in Systems Documentation and, for each, provide a reason for its inclusion. *8+ 4. What is the “Program Listing”, and in which piece of documentation is it found? *2+ 5. Describe the elements of the Program Documentation. *5+

Page total 92

6. What is the purpose of User Documentation? Why is it created? *3+ 7. Describe the things that will be included in the User Documentation. *7+

Page total 93

E

Systems Life Cycle: Evaluation

1. List the criteria against which a new system is normally evaluated. *5+ 2. List the four stages of the evaluation process. *4+ 3. Why are the results of testing used in the evaluation stage? *3+ 4. Describe the methods that could be used to obtain feedback from the users of the new system. *4+

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Page total 94

E

End of Unit Test

This end of topic test will be completed under exam conditions. Please read the questions carefully and note how many marks each question is worth. Use this as a guide to how much you should write. 4.1 – Systems analysis You have been given the task of researching a system in a company. Describe the different methods you could use to research the current system and suggest an appropriate method you could use. *6+ 4.2 – Design When designing a new system you need to produce a number of recommendations, you will need to choose input devices and software for use with the new system. Explain the choices you will have to make. *4+

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Page total 95

4.3 – Development and testing When a new system has been designed you need to develop it and test it. Describe the testing strategies that you could use. *4+ 4.4 – Implementation Any new system that is created needs to be implemented. Compare and contrast the different methods of implementation that the company could use. *8+

Page total 96

4.5 – Documentation You have been asked to produce a technical document for a system. Describe the 2 types of technical documents that you need to produce. *6+ 4.6 – Evaluation After a system has been implemented it will need to be evaluated. Describe how a new system would be evaluated and how the results of the evaluation will be used. *4+

Page total 97

E

Chapter 4 Exam Questions

June 08 1. Alexandria Regional Bank is a small bank with three branches. However, it wants to

introduce an online banking system using the Internet. In order to ensure that the system will work effectively it has employed the services of a systems analyst. The analyst will investigate the current methods of carrying out transactions. Describe three methods a systems analyst would use to research the way the bank currently operates. *3+

2. Vikram has decided to computerise the company operations at Maharashtra Fashions. He has employed a systems analyst who has completed the Analysis stage. One of the recommendations of the systems analyst was that the payroll system at the company should also be computerised.

Describe the different items that the systems analyst will need to include at the Design stage and explain the factors that will influence the choice of item. *8+

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Page total 98

3. The new system will need to be implemented. Compare and contrast the different methods of implementation that the company could use. *6+

4. After the system has been implemented it will need to be evaluated. Describe how the new system will be evaluated and how the results of this evaluation will be used. *4+

Page total 99

June 09

5. The July 23rd Hospital in Cairo is improving its existing computer system to make it more efficient. They currently have separate systems for storing:

• staff records • payroll records.

One single database is required which will store all this data.

A systems analyst is being employed to analyse the existing system and then design a new system.

Describe three different methods the systems analyst could use to collect information

about the existing system and describe situations where each could be used. *6+

6. Validation rules will need to be designed. Using examples of fields that would be found in the hospital’s payroll file, describe the validation checks which could be needed. *6+

Page total 100

7. After the system has been created it will need to be tested. Using examples of payroll data, describe this testing and how any needed improvements would be identified as a result. *6+

June 2010 Dar Es Salaam High School has recently been formed by joining together six smaller

schools. The head teacher wants to have a modern ICT system to administer staff and student records. She has decided to employ a systems analyst to look at the existing systems and recommend a new system.

The system will need to produce hundreds of reports in one session and should be

able to find individual records very quickly. Using the results of the analysis of the current system the analyst will need to design the new system. Once the system has been designed and developed, user and technical documentation will need to be produced.

8. Other than observation, describe the methods that the systems analyst could use to research the current systems. *3+

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9. Describe four different items that the systems analyst will need to include at the design stage. Using the scenario of Dar Es Salaam High School, explain the factors that will influence the choice of each item. *8+ 10. Explain the purpose of technical documentation. *2+

11. Describe the two types of technical documentation including details of the contents of each one. *8+

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12. After the system has been developed it will be evaluated. Describe how test results are recorded and explain how they affect this evaluation.

*3+

Nov 2008 Mr Mustapha is the head teacher of a large school. The school currently has a

computer network but he wants to have a new system which will allow the school to keep student personal records and test marks. He also wants to have a system which will let the students have the opportunity to use computers to improve their learning. He has invited Joanne Reeves, a systems analyst, to design and create the new system.

13. After Joanne has designed the new system she will want to develop and test it. Describe the testing strategies she could use. *3+ 14. Joanne will need to produce technical documentation. Describe the two types of technical documentation she will produce. *6+

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Nov 2009 Rajvinder Uppal is the manager of a book publishing company. The company uses an

outdated record keeping system for storing details of the books they publish. Rajvinder wants to introduce a more modern system. She has employed the services of a systems analyst, Vikram Patel, to investigate the current system and create a new one.

Vikram will use a variety of methods to collect information about the existing system. 15. Describe two types of diagram which Vikram could use to record information about

the current system. *4+ 16. Describe how the recording of information will help with the analysis of the current

system. *5+

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17. Describe how Vikram will identify the information requirements for the new system.

*2+ 18. Describe the factors that will influence Vikram when designing the input and output

layouts. *6+ 19. After the system has been developed it will need to be implemented. Discuss the

different methods which could be used. *6+ 20. After the system has been implemented Vikram will need to evaluate it. Describe the

process of evaluation.

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*5+

Nov 2010 Some teachers at the Nairobi International School use computers to store records of

their students including examination results. The Headteacher Peter Onyango has decided that all teachers will use computers to keep their assessment records and that this information will be stored centrally.

In order to introduce this new system Peter has asked Mary, a systems analyst, to

analyse the existing paper based system that a number of teachers are still using. Each student has a unique ten digit student number. After the analysis phase Mary will design the new system. Part of this process will be

the design of validation checks. Mary will use presence checks and existency checks on the student number and presence checks on the examination scores, which are marks out of 100. In addition, Mary will need to decide on other validation checks.

21. Describe two methods that Mary could use to record the information about the

current system. *6+ 22. Discuss the suitability of the additional validation checks that Mary could use on the

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student number and the examination scores. *8+ 23. After the system has been developed, the entry of examination results will be tested. Describe a suitable test plan with appropriate test data. *5+